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One of the greatest legacy’s so far from the 2012 Olympics must be around the number of people actively taking up cycling and this has been backed up by how difficult it is to get any track time at the home of British Cycling, the Manchester Velodrome.

Thankfully though, the boys at Out of the Saddle Cycling Club kindly invited some members of my club, the Cappuccino Cycling Club to join them on a club session they had managed to book on 26th January.

Walking into the velodrome knowing that some of Britain’s greatest cyclists walk through the same doors on a daily basis gives you a real buzz. After a quick change it is time to collect your bike (if you have hired one), drop your stuff in the collection area and clip in to your pedals before hitting the boards.

Riding the boards is a lot harder than most people imagine. The likes of Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Chris Hoy and Laura Trott make it look so easy, but it is far from that. I ride my bike on a regular basis on the road, but turning a “fixed” big gear at a high cadence for a sustained period is something else! The lactic acid soon fills the legs and then the pain starts to kick in – all you can do is tell your legs to shut up and get on with it.

The two hours pass quickly and it is time to warm down, shower and as was the case on Saturday go for a much deserved recovery curry on Rusholme’s Curry Mile.